New York's Theaters and Museums Open in a Bold Resolve to Persevere

By JESSE McKINLEY

Published: September 14, 2001

STILL reeling from Tuesday's deadly attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, some of New York City's cultural institutions have decided to fight the grief and fear in the only way they know, with an array of special concerts, benefits and bold displays of creative energy and perseverance.

At the urging of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Schuyler G. Chapin, the commissioner of cultural affairs, many of the city's premier museums opened their doors yesterday, after closing in the wake of the attacks. Meanwhile, producers vowed that all 23 Broadway productions would be performed last night after a moment of silence and a dimming of the marquee lights in recognition of the victims.

Joseph Volpe, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, announced that the Met would stage a special performance of its opening-night gala on Sept. 22 at 8 p.m., featuring excerpts from three Verdi operas, with stars like Deborah Voigt, Plácido Domingo and Roberto Alagna. The concert, at the Metropolitan Opera House, will benefit victims, families and the relief effort at the smoky southern tip of Manhattan.

Across the plaza at Lincoln Center, the New York City Opera is also working to arrange a benefit in early October, a performance of Wagner's "Flying Dutchman," which was canceled on Tuesday night. That work, as well as a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Mikado," will open the company's season tomorrow.

The flurry of activity in theaters, opera houses and museums represented a concerted effort by political and cultural leaders to return the city to some semblance of normalcy.

"As one of the leading arts organizations in New York City and our country, we feel it is our duty to serve our community in whatever way we can," Mr. Volpe said in a statement. "We pray that the healing powers of music will help us all through."

Mr. Volpe added that the Met had already received more than $1 million in contributions — including a large donation from Deutsche Bank — and hoped for an additional $400,000 at the box office, with a goal of raising more than $2 million for the relief effort.

Similar benefits and donations were being discussed among the League of American Theaters and Producers, Broadway's trade group, which has also suggested that Broadway casts sing "God Bless America" or other patriotic songs after performances.

"We've talked to the mayor and other officials, who made it clear that they feel we should get back to work," said Jed Bernstein, the president of the league. "Everyone feels it's important to start to restore confidence in New York and our community."

But despite the open doors, the city's cultural institutions are still facing an array of challenges, from lost revenue to continuing bomb threats in Times Square and the numbing fear and sorrow plaguing casts, crews and audiences.

For some, the impact was immediate and tragic. Mr. Volpe reported that many of the Met's company members had lost "family, friends and neighbors," a sentiment echoed on Broadway, where several productions reported that people connected with the shows had lost kin, although officials at the league could not confirm any deaths as rescue and recovery operations continued.

Lincoln Center Theater said one chorus member of the road company of the hit musical "Contact," whose name was not released, had lost two family members in the attacks. And 14 firefighters from the three units at 782 Eighth Avenue, at West 48th Street, informally known as the Broadway Firehouse and charged with protecting the theater district, were missing and presumed dead, Fire Chief George Maier said.

Entertainment executives were also dealing with other sensitive issues. NBC decided Wednesday to postpone by one week the premieres of its fall shows, due to begin on Monday. The New York Post also reported yesterday that two Hollywood films, "Collateral Damage" and "Big Trouble," both scheduled for fall release, would delay their premieres indefinitely because of their sensitive subject matter. "Collateral Damage" featured a scene of an attack on a skyscraper, while "Big Trouble" depicts a nuclear device being smuggled past airport security, The Post reported.

A similar postponement was announced yesterday by the Roundabout Theater Company, which said it was canceling a planned revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Assassins," which includes references to attacks on the White House and bombings. In a statement Mr. Sondheim and John Weidman, who wrote the musical's book, said that "in light of Tuesday's murderous assault on our nation," it was not an appropriate time to present the show.

This was not the first time that show has endured unfortunate timing. The original production, at Playwrights Horizons, opened in January 1991, during the Persian Gulf war, a factor that some blamed for the lukewarm response of many audiences.

For all of the anxiety still palpable, there were indications that audiences were hungry for cultural fare. By 4 p.m. yesterday, 8,270 people, more than normal for this time of year, had visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which has a special exhibition of Egyptian photographs (review on page 23). The museum, which closed on Tuesday, reopened yesterday at the request of the mayor, "to restore a sense of civic equilibrium," said Harold Holzer, the museum's vice president for communications, in addition to providing a place for visitors stranded in the city by the airline shutdown.

Mr. Holzer said the request to open came in a phone call yesterday from Commissioner Chapin to David E. McKinney, president of the Metropolitan.